3D-Printed EV Racer Hits 88 MPH, Doesn’t Go Back to 1955

Photo: Formula Group T

A Belgian team of engineers has produced the first (mostly) 3D-printed automobile, the Areion, for the Formula Student Challenge. The instructions: Create a non-professional weekend autocross or sprint racer for a niche sales market that will be part of a viable business model.

The creators, named Formula Group T, turned to 3D printing, specifically “mammoth stereolithography,” a process that uses a massive machine from custom object builder Materialise. The process and device can print out parts up to 2,100 x 680 x 800mm in size, big enough to produce the body for the Areion. The team then tested the car’s limits on the Hockenheim race circuit.

Underneath the printed body, an 85 kW motor drawing power from 50-volt lithium polymer batteries sends the Areion from zero to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 88 mph. Inside is an electric drivetrain made from bio-composite materials, and a bio-composite race seat that brings the total weight to 617 pounds. A double-A carbon wishbone suspension system with titanium uprights keeps the steering tight.

3D printing was responsible for the entire car body, including the shark skin-inspired coarse-textured nose, the aerodynamics of which reduce drag and increase thrust. Inspiration came from high-tech swimsuits that give Olympians a speed advantage.

Pods on the sides of the car have a printed nozzle and diffuser, which channel air through the engine. A fan behind the radiator draws in air at low speeds, or when at a stand-still. On the right side, channels twist the passing air into a cyclone, which ejects water and dirt before they can hit the engine. No word on whether Doc is looking into replacing the DeLorean…